| CollegeHighway.com Login |
| Don't have an account yet? You can create one. As registered user you have some advantages like theme manager, comments configuration and post comments with your name. |
| Trippin? |
 |
| Check Yourself |
 |
| Ephemerids |
One Day like Today...
|
| Welcome |
| You are Anonymous user. You can register for free by clicking here. |
 |
|
| Home / College Guide / Spring break crowd storms Fort Lauderdale beach - World News |
| Posted on Saturday, March 06 @ 00:00:32 PST |
Thong bikinis, cold beer and maskless throngs.
That’s how spring break looked Thursday on the famous Fort Lauderdale strip, just days into the start of the popular college pasttime that lasts into April.
Universities across the country canceled spring break to discourage college coeds from spreading the coronavirus. But judging from the crowds hitting the beach, the kids are here in full force, pandemic or not.
Gumeinny said he and his buddies planned to head to a strip club in between bar hopping. On Thursday, they partied at Café Ibiza on A1A, surrounded by a crowd of maskless coeds dancing to the loudest music on the block.
The place was so packed, it made the usually busy Elbo Room look sedate by comparison.
Down at the Elbo Room, Lauren Tedeschi, 53, took in the crazy scene with her 25-year-old niece here on a quick getaway from Boston.
When Tedeschi goes to a bar, she says she makes sure to sit outside. If she spotted a bar that was not enforcing social distancing, she wouldn’t go in.
Beach resident Chad McCoury was alarmed enough by the crowd swarming Café Ibiza to stop and record video of the crowd on Wednesday.
Broward Mayor Steve Geller says he forwarded McCoury’s video to county code enforcement.
Like other bars and restaurants in Fort Lauderdale, Café Ibiza has already run afoul of city code officers for not enforcing pandemic-related safety protocols.
Ibiza got a warning on Jan. 2 for not enforcing facial coverings or social distancing and was shut down for the same reason June 19. The bar was also shut down for 24 hours on Aug. 23 for not enforcing social distancing and placing tables too close together.
A hostess at Café Ibiza declined to comment Wednesday after explaining that the general manager was not available. A spokeswoman for Café Ibiza also declined to comment.
On Wednesday, an anonymous critic reported Café Ibiza on the county’s COVID-19 complaint dashboard for not enforcing social distancing or mask wearing. As of Wednesday afternoon, no code officers had paid a visit to check out the complaint.
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis downplayed the video, saying most of the city’s beachfront businesses are complying.
Police officers patrolled in front of the establishment Thursday, but it’s up to code officers to enforce safety protocols like mask wearing, a spokeswoman for the Fort Lauderdale Police Department said.
On Thursday, Trantalis said he and his staff have contacted each bar and restaurant along A1A to make sure they follow safety protocols, especially during spring break.
Penrod said he’s not looking to have his place shut down after being forced to close for seven months during the early days of the pandemic, when bars weren’t allowed to operate. But he’s not too worried about this year’s Spring Breach crowd.
Source
|
|
| |
|
|
